Hafsah bint ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anha

Hafsah bint ‘Umar

She is Umm al Mu’minin Sayyidah Hafsah bint ‘Umar ibn al Khattab ibn Nufayl ibn ‘Abdul ‘Uzza ibn Riyah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Qurat ibn Razah ibn ‘Adi ibn Ka’b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr al Qurashiyyah al ‘Adawiyyah radiya Llahu ‘anha. She is from the Muhajirat. Prior to marrying Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, she was in the wedlock of Sayyidina Khunays ibn Hudhafah al Sahmi radiya Llahu ‘anhu who participated in Badr and passed away in Madinah. After Sayyidah Hafsah radiya Llahu ‘anha was widowed, Sayyidina ‘Umar presented her to Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhuma and proposed. However, the latter did not say a word, which upset him. He then proposed to Sayyidina ‘Uthman after Sayyidah Ruqayyah radiya Llahu ‘anhuma, the daughter of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam passed away, but ‘Uthman said, “I do not wish to marry at the moment.” Thereafter, Sayyidina ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu went to Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and complained about Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam remarked:

يتزوج حفصة من هو خير من عثمان و يتزوج عثمان من هو خير من حفصة

Someone better than ‘Uthman will marry Hafsah, and ‘Uthman will marry someone superior to Hafsah.

Thereafter, Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam sent his proposal to Sayyidina ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu and married her.

After some time, Sayyidina Abu Bakr met Sayyidina ‘Umar and submitted, “Do not be angry with me for Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam mentioned Hafsah and I was not to disclose Rasulullah’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam secret. Had he decided not to marry her, I would have married her.”[1]

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam married her in the 3^rd year after hijrah according to majority of ‘Ulama’. Abu ‘Ubaidah, however, says the second year. Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam married her after Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha and she passed away in 45 A.H.[2]

Her been given the glad tidings of Jannat is established in the ahadith of Sayyidina Qais ibn Zaid, Sayyidina ‘Umar ibn al Khattab, Sayyidina ‘Ammar ibn Yasir, Sayyidina Thabit, Sayyidina Qatadah, Sayyidina Huamid ibn Anas, and Sayyidina ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir al Juhani radiya Llahu ‘anhum. I will record the most authentic narration:

فعن حماد بن سلمة عن أبي عمران الجوني عن قيس بن زيد أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم طلق حفصة تطليقة فدخل عليها خالاها عثمان و قدامة ابنا مظعون فبكت و قالت و الله ما طلقني رسول الله صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم عن شبع ثم دخل عليها النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم فتجلببت فقال صلى الله عليه و سلم إن جبريل أتاني فقال لي راجع حفصة فإنها صوامة قوامة و هي زوجتك في الجنة

From Hammad ibn Salamah from―Abu ‘Imran al Juwani from―Qais ibn Zaid who reports:

The Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam divorced Hafsah with one talaq. As a result, her maternal uncles, ‘Uthman and Qudamah—sons of Maz’un—came to her.

She cried and said, “By Allah, Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not divorce me due to any defect.”

Just then the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam entered her house and she covered herself.

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam pronounced, “Certainly, Jibril approached me and said, ‘Take Hafsah back because she fasts excessively and performs salah at night and she will be your wife in Jannat.’”[3]

Ibn Sa’d, al Tabarani, al Hakim, al Baladhuri, al Harith, and Abu Nuaim have all reported it from different chains from Hammad.

Al Haythami says, “Its narrators are the narrators of al Sahih.”[4]

Hafiz comments, “Qais: there is a dispute over whether he is a Sahabi or not.”[5]

Study Silsilat al Ahadith al Sahihah.[6]

NEXT⇒ Sumayyah bint Khubbat , mother of ‘Ammar radiya Llahu ‘anha

[1] Al Tabaqat, vol. 8 pg. 82. The basis of the narration appears in Sahih al Bukhari, vol. 9 pg. 152, 153 in the Book of Nikah: Chapter concerning a man presenting his daughter or sister to men of honour.

[2] Dala’il al Nubuwwah, vol. 8 pg. 463; al Isti’ab, vol. 2 pg. 48; Usd al Ghabah, vol. 3 pg. 331; al Isabah, vol. 7 pg. 581. In Tarh al Tathrib, vol. 7 pg. 122 there is a footnote contrary to what appears here of Sayyidina ‘Umar initially presenting Sayyidah Hafsah to Sayyidina Abu Bakr and then to Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhum and that is contrary to what appears in Sahih al Bukhari.

[3] Al Tabaqat, vol. 8 pg. 84; al Mu’jam al Kabir, Hadith: 934; al Mustadrak, vol. 4 pg. 15; Ansab al Ashraf, vol. 1 pg. 188; Baghyat al Bahith ‘an Zawa’id Musnad al Harith, Hadith: 1000; Ma’rifat al Sahabah, Hadith: 5157; Hilyat al Awliya’, vol. 2 pg. 50.

[4] Majma’ al Zawa’id, vol. 9 pg. 245.

[5] Fath al Bari, vol. 14 pg. 482.

[6] Silsilat al Ahadith al Sahihah, Hadith: 2007.

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